On- and Off-Trail Backpacking in the Emigrant Wilderness, California

The Trip

If you have ever wanted to venture off the trail or would like to do some -- but not all -- cross-country, this trip may be perfect for you. It is designed for those who would like to explore cross-country hiking for the first time. This trip may also appeal to experienced cross-country backpackers seeking a more moderate cross-country trip. Those with either type of experience are encouraged to join this trip.

Entering the Emigrant Wilderness, near Pinecrest at the Crabtree trailhead, we will be hiking past many beautiful lakes and volcanic, granite peaks and domes within the Central California Sierra Nevada. This backpack trip will travel through Emigrant Wilderness and just north of the Yosemite National Park boundary. We will be hiking most days with full packs over rough terrain. The terrain is about a 60/40 mix of trail and cross-country. You need to be in good physical condition to handle the daily rigors of cross-country hiking. Most days should provide enough time around camp to explore, swim, relax, or take photographs. However, we also have one layover day planned to explore the area or just hang out. We will head to Kennedy Meadows trailhead and our exit, which is the conclusion of our adventure.

Day 1: This is the official start of the trip. We will be meeting at 6:00 a.m. in the campground for breakfast, a trailhead talk, and logistics. After breakfast we will begin our trek south then east out of the Crabtree trailhead and toward the Emigrant Wilderness and on to Bear Lake. This day we will cover about 3.2 miles and 500 feet of gain. This first day starts on trail.

Day 2: This will be our first day of cross-country hiking and is the second-highest amount of gain for the trip; it tops out at just above 8,700 feet. This day we will cover about 3.2 miles and 1,200 feet of gain. The hike takes us up from Bear Lake into a deep canyon. Once we arrive at our destination at Y Meadow Lake we can set up camp.  Y Meadow Lake resembles the lakes of the Yosemite high-country with open granite slabs and trees.

Day 3: This day, we start on cross-country in an eastern direction toward our goal of Long Lake. After leaving Y Meadow Lake, we climb two ridges to Toe Jam Lake for lunch. Then we drop to the trail at Salt Lick Meadow and continue on to Long Lake. We will travel about 5.5 miles and a gain of 1,100 feet. Our destination, Long Lake (8,700 feet elevation), is especially enjoyable with the granite terrain, surrounding peaks, and islands. Once at our camp, there will be time available to practice setting up a kitchen tarp.

Day 4: Today is our layover day. The Long Lake area offers some excellent exploring opportunities with its spectacular granite slabs and peaks. For those who wish, we can practice cross-country navigation and route finding.

Day 5: Today we travel 2.0 miles cross-country and 3.5 miles on trail to the Frazer Lakes, which sit at 9,200 feet. First, we will head south over granite terrain and east to Emigrant Lake.  We will then climb to the hidden Frazer Lakes area for our camp. Our total ascent for the day is about 1,200 feet. During the cross-country section, we can try out those new navigation skills. This area has limited campsite opportunities and we can learn how to find campsites while we maintain our Leave No Trace principles.

Day 6: This day, we will begin two miles cross-country, with 3.6 miles on-trail. On trail, we will climb 700 feet to Emigrant Meadow Lake. Emigrant Meadow Lake sits in a large open basin with 360-degree views.

Day 7: This day, we will begin our 6.1-mile on-trail travel to Saucer Meadow. Over Brown Bear Pass, we will travel on a mix of extrusive volcanic and granite terrain then finally return to the forest and our only stay along Summit Creek. This day we begin to do more descending than climbing. We climb about 400 feet and drop 1,400 to our camp.

Day 8: This day, we head northwest to our exit at Kennedy Meadows. We travel about 5.7 miles, descending about 1,800 feet but going up some short hills, but it's all on-trail. We can lunch along the trail and begin our final descent and the trip home.

Getting There

The closest airports to our meeting area are as follows: Reno International, Sacramento International, Oakland International, and San Francisco International. Reno and Sacramento are not in the Bay Area and may experience less traffic issues. The specific meeting place will be sent via email along with other trip information. Please do not make travel arrangements until the leader has confirmed you as a trip member.

Accommodations and Food

All meals are included from breakfast on the first day of the outing through lunch the last day of the outing. Responsibility for commissary, cooking, and cleanup will be shared by trip participants. Meals include simple, hearty, healthy, and varying breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. The leaders will work hard to make the weight of the food as light as possible to lessen the loads in our packs as well as to simplify the cooking procedures. Although a goodie bag will be provided, participants may bring a few of their favorite snacks to supplement between meals, but please note that bear canister space is very limited and some items may have to be left behind. The leaders can easily accommodate vegetarians, however this trip does not accommodate vegans, gluten-free, or serious food allergies.

For drinks, coffee, various teas (caffeinated and decaffeinated, green, herbal), hot chocolate, and powdered sports drinks and fruit drinks will be available. You must provide your own water purification device or system for treating your personal drinking water.

Each night will be spent in the backcountry, thus the accommodations are your own tent (shelter) and sleeping bag. However, for those who wish to arrive the day before the official trip start, campground fees will be covered. There is a local restaurant available for anyone wishing to go out for dinner.

Trip Difficulty

While this is a cross-country trip, this trip is rated a high 3 out of 5, with 1 being the easiest, and 5 being the most difficult. Mileage on our 7 hiking days range from 5.5 to 7 miles, with a total of nearly 40 miles for the entire trip. Our first and second hiking days will be challenging as we hike with full packs -- all while we are still acclimating to the higher elevation. Our greatest elevation gains will be on days one, four, and five, and our campsites will all be between 8,500 and 9,500 feet. Hiking will be about a 60/40 mix of trail and cross-country.

Participation in this outing suggests that you have at least some backpacking and hiking experience; however, you need to be in good physical condition, have a good aerobic conditioning, and have realistic expectations for the trip. Hiking on rough terrain does require good balance and a patient and flexible attitude, both of which are requirements for the trip. Our objectives are to enjoy some spectacular country, learn some new things about cross-country backpacking, and complete the trip safely as a group. Known for its temperate summer weather, the Sierra Nevada can also experience sudden, unexpected rains, hail, snow, heat, and cold. Daytime temperatures can climb into the upper 80s, while nighttime temperatures can drop below the 30s. It is essential that you be prepared for extremes in weather conditions, and also be flexible so that we can adapt our route to accommodate unexpected conditions or events.

Equipment and Clothing

The Sierra Club provides cooking gear, food, fuel, some water purification, some sanitation supplies, and a first-aid kit to be used for emergencies. You will be responsible for everything else that you need. The gear and food provided by the Club generally equates to approximately 14-17 pounds each at the start of the trip and will be distributed among the group. Please keep the total weight for your personal gear below 25 pounds and make sure your backpack has enough capacity for the extra gear, which will be the size of approximately two one-gallon milk jugs.

The leader will provide an extensive list of gear to each of the participants well in advance of the outing. The list will include those items that are essential, such as backpack, shelter, sleeping pad, sleeping bag rated to 20-30 degrees F, boots, rain gear, and your personal medications. The list will also include optional items, such a camera and reading material. In addition, there will be a pre-trip letter covering just this subject to help you make an informed choice when purchasing backpacking equipment.

References

Maps:

• The USGS 7.5-minute maps that cover our route are Sonora Pass and Emigrant Lake quadrangle.
• Tom Harrison-Emigrant Wilderness at: http://www.tomharrisonmaps.com/; or, REI.

Books:

• Schifrin, Ben, Emigrant Wilderness and Northwestern Yosemite (Paperback). Out of print, but available at Amazon.com.

Websites: 

• http://www.fs.usda.gov/stanislaus/

Conservation

We will venture on and off trail into alpine lakes, mountainous terrain, and other geologic features. Here we will try to find what we can of human presence, both modern and historical. Some evenings we can discuss what we have found and its impact on the Emigrant Wilderness and ourselves. We can cover other topics, such as global warming, technology in the Wilderness, and issues regarding the Parks and Wilderness in general. As a group we will observe Leave No Trace principles and invite discussion of current issues regarding our wilderness, water, and air.

Sierra Club National Outings is an equal-opportunity provider and when applicable will operate under permits obtained from U.S. federal land agencies. Sierra Club Outings operates this activity under a U.S. Forest Service special use permit in the Stanislaus National Forest.